Human Fluid Samples Research Articles

Tear fluid cellular fibronectin levels after photorefractive keratectomy.

Fibronectin is supposed to have an important role in wound healing. The extradomain A-containing cellular fibronectin (EDAcFn) refers to fibronectin, which instead of being a hepatocyte derived component of blood plasma or body fluids, is produced locally. The present study was undertaken to clarify the possible changes in excretion of EDAcFn in tears following excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). An immunoassay was used to determine EDAcFn concentrations in human tear fluid samples of 11 eyes after PRK. Tear fluids were collected with scaled microcapillaries preoperatively as well as 1, 2, and 7 days after PRK. The time used to collect a known volume of tears was registered. This was done to estimate the dilution effect related to the hypersecretion of tears after PRK. The mean preoperative tear fluid EDAcFn concentration was 0.28 +/- 0.07 ng/microliter with a wide range (0.05 to 0.63). The tear fluid flow-corrected excretion of EDAcFn was 1.36 +/- 0.35 ng/min (range, 0.145 to 3.50). There was a significant increase in both postoperative tear fluid flow and excretion of EDAcFn on days 1 and 2. The elevation of the mean EDAcFn concentration did not decrease in spite of reflex tearing. The mean excretion of EDAcFn in tears was 28-fold on the first and 17-fold on the second postoperative day. Normal level was reached by day 7. There is a rapid increase in excretion of EDAcFn in tears following PRK. This seems to last only as long as an epithelial defect persists. The epithelium of all eyes healed in 3 to 4 days in spite of wide interindividual variations in both tear fluid flow and EDAcFn excretion.

Variability of laboratory coat resistance to blood strikethrough

Protection from contamination by potentially infectious fluids is an increasingly important aspect of hospital safety programs. Technical personnel in clinical laboratories may handle numerous samples of human blood and other fluids daily, and to protect themselves against exposure to bloodborne pathogens they routinely wear laboratory coats. We studied the effectiveness of six disposable (polypropylene; either spun-bond or spun-bond/melt-blown/spun-bond construction) and four reusable (polyester-cotton) laboratory coats in preventing blood passage. Fabrics (1018 samples) were tested at six time durations (1 s-5 min) and five pressures [1.7-13.8 kPa (0.25-2.0 psi)]. A standard spray test used to evaluate resistance to wetting showed that reusable coats were less repellent than disposables (P < 0.05). Pressure testing showed that reusable and spun-bond coats allowed greater blood passage than the spun-bond/melt-blown/spun-bond. Laboratory coats should be chosen that have sufficient resistance to blood or other body fluid passage for the task performed and for the period of time used.

Epidermal growth factor-like proteins in breast fluid and human milk

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), and the transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) family of proteins, which also bind to the EGF receptor, have been associated with human breast cancer. The total EGF-like proteins were determined by a radioreceptor assay, and TGF-α by radioimmunoassay, in human milk and breast fluid samples. The breast fluids were collected by nipple aspiration from healthy premenopausal women. Both the 24 milks and 18 breast fluids assayed contained EGF-like proteins, at concentrations ranging from 32–600 ng/ml (median, 140 ng/ml), and 62–654 ng/ml (median, 205 ng/ml) respectively. Immunoreactive TGF-α proteins were detected at higher levels in 21 breast fluids (range, 0–50.0; median 5.1 ng/ml) than in 24 milk samples (range, 0–8.4; median, 0.8 ng/ml).

The lubricating activity of human synovial fluids.

The lubricating abilities of human synovial fluids were measured using a rotating cartilage-on-glass apparatus. A total of 247 human fluids were lubrication-tested. Of these, 20 of the 180 knee fluids from patients with degenerative/traumatic joint disease lubricated less well than normal bovine synovial fluid. The remainder of the fluids from the knee and other joints were equivalent to normal bovine synovial fluid in their lubricating properties. The concentrations of hyaluronic acid, protein, and sialic acid and the relative viscosity of 117 human fluid samples were determined, but no relationships between the gross composition and the lubricating abilities were apparent.

Determination of imipenem (N-formimidoyl thienamycin) in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography, comparison with microbiological methodology and stability

High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods using ultraviolet (UV) detection have been developed for the assay of the antibiotic imipenem (N-formimidoyl thienamycin) in human plasma and urine. A reversed-phase analytical column is employed in the plasma assay method and a cation-exchange column is used in the urine assay method. Both methods use borate buffer in the mobile phase. The method of preparation of human fluid samples for HPLC injection has been optimized with respect to the stability of imipenem in aqueous buffers, in morpholine buffer-ethylene glycol stabilizer, and in urine and plasma. Preparation of the samples before injection into the HPLC systems involves deproteination/ filtration of the plasma/urine samples. The open lactam metabolite and the coadministered dehydropeptidase inhibitor, cilastatin sodium, do not interfere with the 313-nm detection of imipenem in either the plasma or the urine assay. Thienamycin, the precursor of imipenem and an impurity in imipenem formulations, is separated from the drug using both of these methods. Concentrations generated from the HPLC analysis of plasma and urine samples from two healthy volunteers compare favorably with results using a microbiological assay method. Correlation of the two methods gives r ⩾ 0.990 for both fluids.

The Response of Seven Prostatic Fluid Components to Prostatic Disease

282 human prostatic fluid samples have been investigated for their pH value, zinc, and citrate concentration and their acid phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, diamine oxidase, and beta-glucuronidase activities. The results have been analysed in terms of the clinical status of the patients. Significant differences between patient categories were found with all but diamine oxidase and beta-glucuronidase. These differences were mainly found between men with apparently healthy prostates and prostatitis patients; the pH being raised and the acid phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, zinc and citrate being reduced. The diagnostic value of these parameters was evaluated, each could be used to classify correctly 90% of patients from these 2 groups. Zinc, citrate and leucine aminopeptidase showed no age relationship and were better than acid phosphatase and pH in discriminating between BPH and prostatitis. Evidence was also found for a return of normal secretory function sometime after an episode of prostatitis. Zinc and citrate are likely to be the most useful parameters for clinical evaluation.

The Interrelationships Between Acid Phosphatase, Aminopeptidase, Diamine Oxidase, Citric Acid, β-Glucuronidase, pH and Zinc in Human Prostatic Fluid

Biochemical analysis of 328 human prostatic fluid samples were performed. The urea concentration of 69 samples was similar to that of serum and not indicative of significant contamination with urine. The pH of normal fluids was acidic (mean pH = 6.7). The interrelationships between zinc, citrate, acid phosphatase aminopeptidase, beta-glucuronidase, diamine oxidase and pH were investigated by factor analysis. Two significant factors were extracted, the first accounted for 89% of their common variance and the second for 11%. Zinc, citrate, acid phosphatase and aminopeptidase were positively and pH was negatively related to factor one. Beta-glucuronidase was positively related to factor two and diamine oxidase was largely independent of both factors. It was concluded that variables related to factor one share a common secretory control and mechanism, that some other mechanism operates in the case of beta-glucuronidase and that diamine oxidase may not be a true secretory product of the prostate.

The response of seven prostatic fluid components to prostatic disease.

282 human prostatic fluid samples have been investigated for their pH value, zinc, and citrate concentration and their acid phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, diamine oxidase, and beta-glucuronidase activities. The results have been analysed in terms of the clinical status of the patients. Significant differences between patient categories were found with all but diamine oxidase and beta-glucuronidase. These differences were mainly found between men with apparently healthy prostates and prostatitis patients; the pH being raised and the acid phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, zinc and citrate being reduced. The diagnostic value of these parameters was evaluated, each could be used to classify correctly 90% of patients from these 2 groups. Zinc, citrate and leucine aminopeptidase showed no age relationship and were better than acid phosphatase and pH in discriminating between BPH and prostatitis. Evidence was also found for a return of normal secretory function sometime after an episode of prostatitis. Zinc and citrate are likely to be the most useful parameters for clinical evaluation.

The interrelationships between acid phosphatase, aminopeptidase, diamine oxidase, citric acid, beta-glucuronidase, pH and zinc in human prostatic fluid.

Biochemical analysis of 328 human prostatic fluid samples were performed. The urea concentration of 69 samples was similar to that of serum and not indicative of significant contamination with urine. The pH of normal fluids was acidic (mean pH = 6.7). The interrelationships between zinc, citrate, acid phosphatase aminopeptidase, beta-glucuronidase, diamine oxidase and pH were investigated by factor analysis. Two significant factors were extracted, the first accounted for 89% of their common variance and the second for 11%. Zinc, citrate, acid phosphatase and aminopeptidase were positively and pH was negatively related to factor one. Beta-glucuronidase was positively related to factor two and diamine oxidase was largely independent of both factors. It was concluded that variables related to factor one share a common secretory control and mechanism, that some other mechanism operates in the case of beta-glucuronidase and that diamine oxidase may not be a true secretory product of the prostate.

Approved recommendation (1978) on quality control in clinical chemistry

The rapid development of new electronic technologies and instruments, utilized to perform many current clinical operations in the biomedical field, is changing the way medical health care is delivered to patients. The majority of test results from laboratory analyses, performed with these analytical instruments often prior to clinical examinations, are frequently used for management decisions pertaining to patient care rather than as aids to diagnosis. The introduction of novel, improved electronic methods and portable tools for diagnosing diseases and for administering treatments has required continuous retraining of laboratory technicians for routine clinical operations and point-of-care testing. Continuous education and competency of clinical laboratory technicians in the proper use of these new healthcare tools, such as electronic-nose (e-nose) devices, is required to obtain the highest quality information possible for management decisions and to develop efficient treatments for patients. E-nose devices often provide more accurate and timely information than conventional chemical methods. Electronic-nose devices of various types and operational technologies are beginning to be used at increasing frequency in hospitals and clinical settings because of the capability of these instruments to provide rapid, accurate information of a patient's physiological state and health in real-time, eliminating the need for time-consuming chemical tests. E-nose devices are ideal instruments for the detection and diagnosis of disease and for the rapid recognition (sensing) of chemical-bioindicator compounds as indicators of disease within human fluid and tissue samples sent to diagnostic clinical laboratories for analysis. The proper training of technicians in the effective use of e-nose instruments for healthcare applications requires thorough understanding of the theoretical workings of e-nose devices and practical knowledge of operational methodologies that must be followed in order to effectively use e-nose devices to obtain the essential patient information required by medical doctors to make accurate diagnoses and administer rapid effective treatments. This paper provides a review of the most important theoretical and practical considerations to include in the development of training courses to teach clinical laboratory technicians how to properly operate e-nose devices for effective clinical analyses.

The apoproteins of various size classes of human chylous fluid lipoproteins

Recent evidence has indicated a heterogeneity of apoprotein content among subclasses of d < 1.006 serum lipoproteins. Since these serum lipoproteins are heterogeneous, we examined the apoprotein content of d < 1.006 lipoproteins isolated from three samples of human chylous fluids resulting from impaired intestinal lymphatic drainage. Chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins were prepared by ultracentrifugation and purified by gel filtration on agarose columns. Particles of varying sizes within the chylomicron class were prepared by differential ultracentrifugation and the sizing procedure verified electron microscopically and by triglyceride: protein ratios. Each size class was then delipidated and the various apoproteins quantitated densitometrically from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Both qualitatively and quantitatively the apoprotein pattern of chylommicron subclasses and very low density lipoproteins did not differ. Since apoprotein B does not reliably enter acrylamide gels, quantitation of this apoprotein was carried out by Sephadex G-150 gel filtration of individual size fractions. Unlike the relative constancy of other apoproteins with particle size, apoprotein B accounted for a greater percentage of chylomicron apoprotein as particle size (triglyceride) increased. Significantly, mesenteric very low density lipoproteins despite their smaller size contained more apoprotein B than small chylomicrons. These results indicate that while chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins qualitatively contain the same apoproteins, the quantitative amounts, especially of apoprotein B, differ and suggest that very low density lippoproteins are not merely transformed into chylomicrons by the addition of lipid but may be distinct classes of lipoprotein at some point during their synthesis.